#Graphic Medicine International Collective

[downthetubes]

Graphic Medicine Awards extends its categories for 2025, recognising excellence in educational graphic medicine

The Graphic Medicine International Collective has announced the addition of a new "Educational" award category to the annual GMIC Awards for outstanding health-related comic projects

[deadrobinthoughts]

Bat Kids & Their College Degrees.

Dick Grayson - Criminology and Law. - Dick has always been involved in crime fighting. A major in crime and law would easily fit in and deepen his understanding, which only aids in combatting criminal behavior.

+ definitely a performing arts major. he would love being able to explore and express himself through dance and theatre.

Jason Todd - Criminal Justice and Psychology. - during his time as the Red Hood would instill an understanding of crime from a pov that could easily be etched in a psychological perspective. This would be able to aid in his navigation of the darker corners of his vigilante methods. ( Ignore him when he says it's to get answers, with a smirk. )

+ literature and philosophy. it's never been a secret that jason loves to read and study things. he would also get to explore complex composition and moral questions.

Barbara Gordon - Library Sciences & Information Technology - Barbara's initial career in the librarian field would be a dead give away for library science. Her expertise lies within collecting, organizing and checking information, along with hacking, which would be helped by a strong IT background.

+ creative writing. i'm not sure why, i just feel like her level of knowledge and intellect would lead her to enjoy writing and creating new worlds.

Tim Drake - Computer Science & Detective Minor. - Tim is very much known for his computer and detective skills already, majors and minors in these areas would definitely pair with where his interests already align.

+ i feel like regardless of the universe, he's got something to do with computers. even if it's graphic design. i feel like he'd enjoy creating things, too. or, he could go the way of being an agent of some sort but i'm not sure, outside of everything, if he'd be okay knowing the things that agents do. because that's beyond even what the batfam sees.

Stephanie Brown - Forensic Science & Journalism. - considering the time she's spent uncovering the truth and mystery solving, it would be easy to stick her with forensic science. plus, her determination to bring justice to light could easily be an end with journalism.

+ sociology. she'd probably enjoy studying the structure of society and understanding issues better. ( i don't like steph, i'm sorry otl so this isn't great. )

Cassandra Cain - Martial Arts & Linguistics. - her background is already deeply rooted in martial arts, so a major focusing on that area would make sense and be a breeze for her. her communication barriers are what would lead her to want to learn to read, speak and write on an effective level.

+ going the same route as dick, i feel like she'd major somewhere in dance and performing. it would be something expressive.

Damian Wayne - International Relations & Strategics. - damian would be very interested in global affairs and strategic combat. his upbringing would aid in his international relations, while other studies would align with his intellect and training. ( let's not pass up the fact he would have a minor relation to animals, medicine or plants. )

+ fine arts ( still with a double major or minor with something involving animals or plants. ) but, damian does have talent with art and i think he would enjoy the silence and time to delve into that outlet.

Duke Thomas - Electrical Engineering & Urban Studies. - duke's abilities would make it easy to work with concepts of engineering. his focus on protecting and improving, during daylight, aligns well with urban studies.

+ environmental science and, hear me out, music theory. i think duke deserves the ability to explore his creative side, as well.

[sarandipitywrites]

WIP intro: Dead Roots, Dark Water

Fandom: Jak & Daxter

Genres: adventure; dark fantasy; dystopian

Themes: self-acceptance/self-love; healing as pain/love as violence; masks and masking; choosing to break cycles of cruelty; loss of innocence; (found) family and belonging

POV: third person close; 2 POV characters

Vibes: grungy neon lights on broken streets; ride or die friendship; rain rattling on a tin roof; monsters that bleed chaos; queer platonic relationships; dragonflies skimming across a lake; came back wrong; a wilted fern in a blue pot.

Content Warnings: ableism (mostly internalized); past emotional abuse by a guardian; graphic violence; body horror; trauma; medical trauma; depictions of panic attacks, meltdowns, and dissociation; referenced slavery; racism; strong language; major character death.

How far would you go to find your way home?

Daxter has a rock-solid ten-year plan: avoid the ire of Sandover Village's curmudgeonly old Sage; wait for his best bud, Jak, to complete his training and become the new Sage; then live in Jak's attic for the rest of his life. He's got this all figured out, and the upcoming visit from some of Haven City's bigwigs isn't going to blow him off course.

That's what he thinks, anyway. Right up until the bigwigs' armored retinue are arresting Jak for a crime they won't disclose, but he definitely didn't commit.

It's two years, three months, and twelve days before he sees Jak again, and his buddy's a little... different from how he used to be. The physical differences aside, this Jak doesn't seem interested in collecting bugs and studying medicine. This Jak doesn't seem truly happy unless he's got blood running down his hands. Being the favorite subject of the Minister of Science's experiments can apparently do a number on a guy. But Jak thinks there's a way to change him back, and he's not willing to go home until he finds it.

Daxter's not jazzed about staying in Haven - between the propaganda speakers going all night and the gun-toting Krimzon Guard that patrol the city night and day, he's not sure his nerves will ever recover - but for Jak, he'll do it.

He'll do anything to get his best friend back.

taglist (ask to be added or removed): @sam-glade, @televisionjester, @surroundedbypearls

[cppsheffield]

Centre for Poetry and Poetics in Collaboration with Black Humanities Series Presents:

A Reading With Safia Khan, Inua Ellams and Imtiaz Dharker

Venue: The Diamond, LT2, The University of Sheffield, 6pm.

Safia Khan is a junior doctor and poet. Her debut collection (Too Much Mirch) was published in 2022 with Smith | Doorstop and won the New Poets Prize. She has been commissioned to write and deliver lectures in poetry for various universities and literary organisations, including The British Library, The University of Oxford, The Poetry Business, and the Hippocrates Initiative for Poetry and Medicine. Her work has been published in various journals and anthologies including The North, BATH MAGG, Poetry Wales, Introduction X: The Poetry Business Book of New Poets (New Poets List), We’re All in It Together: Poems for a disUnited Kingdom (Grist), Dear Life (Hive), Surfing the Twilight (Hive). -- Born in Nigeria, Inua Ellams is a poet, playwright & performer, graphic artist & designer. He is a Complete Works poet alumni and facilitates workshops in creative writing where he explores reoccurring themes in his work - Identity, Displacement and Destiny - in accessible, enjoyable ways for participants of all ages and backgrounds.

His awards include: Edinburgh Fringe First Award 2009, The Liberty Human Rights Award, The Live Canon International Poetry Prize, The Kent & Sussex Poetry Competition, Magma Poetry Competition, Winchester Poetry Prize, A Black British Theatre Award and The Hay Festival Medal for Poetry. He has been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Tate Modern, Louis Vuitton, BBC Radio & Television. His poetry books include ‘Candy Coated Unicorn and Converse All Stars’ published Flipped Eye, 'The Wire-Headed Heathen' by Akashic Books, The Half God of Rainfall by 4th Estate and The Actual by Penned in The Margins. His plays include ‘Black T-shirt Collection’, ‘The 14th Tale’, ‘Barber Shop Chronicles’ and ‘Three Sisters’ published by Oberon. He founded The Midnight Run (an arts-filled, night-time, urban walking experience.) The Rhythm and Poetry Party (The R.A.P Party) which celebrates poetry & hip hop, and Poetry + Film / Hack (P+F/H) which celebrates Poetry & Film. -- Imtiaz Dharker grew up a 'Muslim Calvinist' in a Lahori household in Glasgow, was adopted by India and married into Wales. She is an accomplished artist and video film-maker, and has published six books with Bloodaxe, Postcards from god (including Purdah) (1997), I Speak for the Devil (2001), The terrorist at my table (2006), Leaving Fingerprints (2009), Over the Moon (2014) and Luck Is the Hook (2018). Her seventh, Shadow Reader, is published in 2024. All her poetry collections are illustrated with her drawings, which form an integral part of the books; she is one of very few poet-artists to work in this way. She was awarded The Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry for 2014, presented to her by The Queen in spring 2015, and has also received a Cholmondeley Award from the Society of Authors and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Over the Moon was shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry 2014. Her poems are on the British GCSE and A Level English syllabus, and she reads with other poets at Poetry Live! events all over the country to more than 35,000 students a year. She has had a dozen solo exhibitions of drawings in India, London, Leeds, New York and Hong Kong. She scripts and directs films, many of them for non-government organisations in India, working in the area of shelter, education and health for women and children. In 2015 she appeared on the iconic BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs. In 2020 she was appointed Chancellor of Newcastle University. She lives in London.

Please note this is an in-person event and we would love you to be there but if you can't make it to Sheffield you can log in by no later then 5.50 on the following link: meet.google.com/fdh-igyk-hrr

Recording now available:

[alleyna-jannah-t-evangelista]

Valentine Portfolio Directory

i. Workshops, Seminars, and Courses

Google Developer Students Club PLM: Branding 101

Google Developer Student Club PLM

Think D3sign: Foundations of Graphic Design

PLM College of Humanities and Social Sciences

PLM Pride Symposium Day 1: Pula ang unang kulay ng Bahaghari

PLM Propaganda

PLM Pride Symposium Day 2: Ang mga danas na sa ilalim ng bahaghari

PLM Propaganda

Rise for Freedom: A women’s month seminar

Gabriela Youth PLM and PLM Propganda

Fighting for Mental Health: Addressing the mental health crisis through education and training”

UP-PGH Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine

Gearing Session 20: Light the stage: the luminaries of production

PLM Mass communication students league

Aids time! Breaking the stigma and fighting HIV/AIDS

PLM Community Development and Research Society

CAREER-A 101: Building Essential Communication Skills for Student Success in a Professional Environment

PLM College of Humanities and Social Sciences

ii. Organizational/Work Experience

Santelmo Arts [Pioneer Visual Arts Collective Head]

Handled the biggest collective with over 20+ students for different events and collective wide projects

Led the “Monthly Prompts” project, collaborating with other collective arts heads for the first inter collective activities.

PLM Propaganda [Punong Panlikhaan/Creatives and Tech Head]

Conceptualized the previous term’s publication calendar, creatives manual, and the latest organizational logo.

Led two of the biggest committees, creatives and technical, that consisted of over 20+ students for the different events done by the organization.

Spearheaded and guided a vast majority of the publication material for the majority of the term.

PLM Student Sellers Union [Founder and Current Union Head]

Established the first ever student union within the university that dealt with student sellers all across the university

Created the “Palengke ng mga Haribon” facebook page for better announcements and call to actions for the overall student union

Led a successful donation drive to feed Palestinians through a non-profit with the event name “Piso for Palestine”, which accumulated into a 800 pesos donation purely from student sellers.

Managed the largest collective of student sellers in its prime, with over 80+ students, creating a safer space for students to sell within the university through constant negotiation and networking

AFS Intercultural Programs Philippines [Intern]

Took in 200 hours of work for the Marketing team.

Started the Revision for Volunteer Manual and completed the Updated Volunteer brochure to be distributed to communities everywhere.

Took in intercultural studies and understanding from AFS IPH

Itlog na pink [Owner]

Established the business and maintaining its position as one of the more known student businesses for over 5 years.

Recognized advocacy artist in Artist spaces

Has been in 4 conventions since its introduction into the scene since 2024.

Link: https://www.instagram.com/itlog_na_pink?igsh=MW9yODg1ZmN3c3ZuMQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

PLM Supreme Student Council [Director for Student Sellers under STRAW]

Established during school year 2024-2025

Networks the entirety of the Student Sellers Community with guidance of PLM Student Sellers Union to college and university wide organizations

iii. Projects

Project Portfolio Drive

This google drive is specifically place here for viewing of projects.

All works here are for personal, organizational, and academic. Any mentions of brands are academic in nature.

Programs for Palestine 2024 [Event Head]

Created the promotional material and operations logistics for student sellers to be able to collect and donate for the cause

Successfully saved 800+ pesos over the course of 2 weeks with 30+ volunteer students to be able to donate to the Palestine funds.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/61557095736597/posts/pfbid0KaDRKEUo3kx6C1AX5ShR6efoMxjf1Djw9CJ39NWVgtb3jZwFyePPUaDM8Wv2UQkVl/?

Talaang Kupas: Gabay sa Lakbay ni Lukas 2023 [Director]

Spearheaded the pioneer batch of artists to create the first ever organization-wide collaborative project

Supervised an on-hand media production and publication of over 30+ artists with a diverse set of skills

Led the animations team as the head animator and storyboard artist

Link: https://fb.watch/tM7Iert4Q-/?

https://fb.watch/tM7Iert4Q-/?

Magwari Season Four 2023 [Assistant director and Creatives Head]

Conceptualized the season’s branding and creative production direction with the theme “A girl’s computer, Late 2010s”

Created the original branding elements to use for the entirety of the season

Supervised two committees that were responsible for the episode’s editing and promotion

Link: https://fb.watch/tM7MLSHSNC/?

Magwari Season Three 2022 [Assistant Director/Creatives and Tech Head/Host]

Conceptualized the season’s branding and creative production direction with the theme “Cybernetic innovation, a look into the future of inclusivity”

Animated and drawn the original branding elements to use for the entirety of the season

Hosted the first episode of the season

Link: https://fb.watch/tM7NqdaWuu/?

Sanduguan: Segunda Mano po! 2023 [Creatives and Tech Head]

Supervised an ad hoc creatives and tech committee for an on-grounds general assembly event

Led and collaborated with over 10 different student graphics members for the overall event elements and publications

Illustrated and Designed the Main Poster for the event proper

Link: https://www.facebook.com/100010544073446/posts/pfbid03YWVVvRPqgkZEf2hhH5TERcaCPEpbkHeWmWahAiiEpioe2cRB1gtZjGjnaDAPEbbl/?

Pulang Laso: HIV in the Philippines [Executive Producer]

Led an 8 student team to create the documentary in the span of 5 months

A documentary depicting the nature of HIV within the philippines in terms of its societal and personal impacts

Commended and received the second highest marks in terms of script writing

a. Art works

Tinitigan at Tinutukan (2024)

Visual Art piece done digitally in regards to the topic of the Philippine and Chinese disputes over the West Philippine Sea

Link: https://www.tumblr.com/alleyna-jannah-t-evangelista/757940366889680896/tinitigan-at-tinutukan

Kasing Sipag ng Kalabaw (2024)

Visual Art piece done digitally in regards to the topic of Labour Issues and the Low Value Perspective towards Philippine Farmers

Link: https://www.tumblr.com/alleyna-jannah-t-evangelista/757941756182626304/kasing-sipag-ng-kalabaw

Overworked, No pay, Org work

Visual Art piece done digitally in regards to the topic of the burn out experienced by many creative individuals during their time in organizations, specifically college organizations.

Link: https://www.tumblr.com/alleyna-jannah-t-evangelista/757940801699479552/overworker-no-pay-org-work

Irrationally Rational

Visual Art piece done digitally in regards to the topic of Intellectualism and the Irrationality of removing emotions from a person’s self.

Link: https://www.tumblr.com/alleyna-jannah-t-evangelista/757940468542767105/irrationally-rational

[jen567]

Theme 1: Inner Space  

Artistic references

Frederik Heyman

Frederik Heyman is a fashion photography multimedia science artist born in 1984 in Belgium and graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 2007 with an MA in Photography and an MA in Graphic and Illustration Design. He has created 3D works for brands like Burberry, Y/project Kenzo, Gentle Monster and many others. His works present an imagination of the real world and the sci-fi future world, rearranging the real world with observations of desires and fantasies to create his own virtual worlds. He copies elements from the present world and pastes them into this alternate reality. This reality depicts detailed descriptions created out of a desire to overcome human nature.

Eero Lundén and Juulia Kauste

Another Generosity

Born in 1986, Alexey graduated from the National Technical University in Poltava, Ukraine with a Master's degree in Visual and Decorative and Applied Arts. He has created a series of CG works for the fantasy field, produced a large number of 3D models and collaborated with clients all over the world, and in 2012 he started his research and work in the field of scientific visualisation.

He has won several major awards in the field of 3D graphics, including two CGSociety 3D Awards and the ZBrush Image of the Year Award, and has been published in more than 30 international print magazines and books. in 2017 he founded Newt Studios, a medical animation company, with his business partner Mike Moran. He is also the founder of the Ukrainian company ARQUTE Ltd. He is also a strong believer in a healthy lifestyle and believes that a healthy lifestyle leads to a more fulfilling life.

Drew Berry

Drew Berry is a medical animator, artist and cell biologist who can make the violent cellular and molecular movements and abstract and complex science that occurs in the human body understandable in beautifully visualised images. He has worked as a biomedical animator at the Walter Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia from 1995 to the present. His animations have been exhibited in numerous museums.

Stine Deja

Stine Deja is a visual artist born in 1986 in Denmark and living in Copenhagen. Her work is about the impact of technological development on the human psyche, living conditions and behavioural patterns. It is a dystopian and critical perspective on the future of human culture, combining extensive conceptual research with transcendental aesthetics and a sense of irony. Deja's creations use different mediums such as monolithic installations, kinetic sculptures, sound installations, videos, 3D animations, and texts, and focus on the integration of human biology and digital technology, biology and digital technology. She focuses on the relationship between human emotional complexes, motivations and obligations, and the mechanisms that humans employ to help them fulfil their desires. Her work is in the collections of numerous museums and foundations.

[unifiedcitationjournals]

Exploring the influence of AI on modern healthcare: a global panel of experts

Healthcare is not an exception. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a ground-breaking technology with enormous potential to disrupt several industries. AI's incorporation into the healthcare ecosystem has the potential to lead to more precise diagnoses, better patient outcomes, and simplified medical procedures because to its capacity for processing massive volumes of data and performing complicated jobs. AI is already influencing the future of healthcare, from disease detection to individualized treatment regimens. In this article, we examine some of the current applications of AI in healthcare

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Views on the innovative ways AI is changing healthcare

Are you enthusiastic about how AI has the ability to change the world? We asked a number of professionals from around the world to share their thoughts and preferred uses of AI in healthcare, as well as their observations and perspectives. Together, let's investigate the amazing ways AI is already changing the market.

Clinical applications of big language models and cautions

Dr. Irving Kent Loh is the chief medical officer and cofounder of Infermedica.

Large language models (LLMs) and generative AI generate text and graphics using data that has been culled from the vast collection of textual and digital sources. The capacity of LLM to pass professional license exams in law and medicine without specialized training with savant-like performance has recently attracted the attention of our field (and the media).

These generative AI/LLM technologies are being adopted and adapted for use in healthcare goods and services. The clinical interaction between healthcare information, clinicians, and patients is changing permanently, beyond administrative and back-office apps. It is now possible to classify symptoms, diagnoses, and best management based on evidence. Healthcare equity might be attainable.

LLMs employ a type of intelligence that is not dependent on humans. Without having a thorough understanding of the presenting symptoms and underlying diseases, the LLM may reach similar conclusions as doctors by taking advantage of statistical associations and patterns found in the text corpora they were trained on or any text data they may have been given as part of the input context. By steering physicians toward those tactics that can confirm or rule out potential diagnoses or suggest other factors, LLMs can, however, reduce the amount of time wasted in ineffective, unneeded, and expensive diagnostic testing. A alternative route was taken to get at the same result as humans.

Trust is the problem. There may be enough confidence in the technology to utilize it with assurance if the purpose is to arrive at the best and most accurate answer feasible and the LLM succeeds in doing so.

However, despite the fact that recent developments in big language models are amazing and full of promise, it is crucial that technology businesses and their clients are aware of their limitations. Before they may be used safely and effectively in medical devices, the proper tools must be chosen for the right issues and held to the highest standards of validation.

In theory, clinical treatment and health outcomes will be enhanced while spending less money. Value-based healthcare will get closer to being a reality.

In order to provide you with relevant educational opportunities that meet the tightest CME and CPD accreditation requirements, our conference has been thoughtfully planned and developed. Join us for the 14th International Nursing, Healthcare Management, and Patient Safety Conference from July 25–27, 2024, in Holiday Inn Dubai, UAE & Virtual. Register here: https://nursing-healthcare.universeconferences.com/registration/ Visit our website: https://nursing-healthcare.universeconferences.com/ Contact: +12073070027

[xtruss]

Anti-Obesity Drugs Can Shrink More Than Patients

— By Aimee Donnellan and Robert Cyran | September 20, 2023 | Reuters

Boxes of Ozempic and Mounjaro, semaglutide and tirzepatide injection drugs used for treating type 2 diabetes and made by Novo Nordisk and Lilly, is seen at a Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. March 29, 2023. Reuters/George Frey Acquire Licensing Rights

London, UK/New York, USA — Starry-eyed venture capitalists love to talk about how promising startups might capture a chunk of a giant total addressable market (TAM). This concept can also work in reverse, though. New anti-obesity drugs have the potential to transform public health, while obliterating demand for products and services from the medical, food and fitness industries. Think of them as total unaddressable markets (TUM).

Drugs developed by Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) and Eli Lilly (LLY.N) appear to be the first truly effective diet treatments. They work by targeting receptors in the brain that reduce appetite and help people feel fuller for longer. Originally developed to tackle diabetes, they’re gaining traction as treatments for obesity. In one clinical trial, patients taking Eli Lilly’s soon-to-be-launched weight-loss drug lost about 50 pounds (23 kg). The benefits for public health are potentially huge. In August, Novo said Wegovy, its obesity drug, reduced the incidence of serious cardiovascular events like strokes and heart attacks by 20% in overweight patients who have a history of heart disease but don’t have diabetes.

Sales are already soaring. Last year, Novo sold nearly $2.5 billion worth of Wegovy and Ozempic, its treatment for people with diabetes. Analysts expect that figure to balloon to $16 billion by 2027, according to forecasts compiled by Visible Alpha. Demand for the medicines, collectively known as GLP-1 drugs, far exceeds what manufacturers can currently produce. Yet excitement has lifted Novo’s market capitalisation to $420 billion, making it Europe’s most valuable company. Lilly, whose diabetes treatment is called Mounjaro, has seen its market value nearly double to more than $500 billion in under 18 months.

Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics

Such a dramatic revolution in public health will also produce losers, though. The drugs are designed to suppress appetite, mimicking a gut hormone which is released after eating. During trials, patients showed reduced appetite and even an aversion towards food generally. This has the potential to affect giant groups such as Switzerland’s Nestlé (NESN.S), Cadbury and Oreo maker Mondelez International (MDLZ.O), and Kraft Heinz (KHC.O). These companies dominate a global market for snacks which is currently worth more than half a trillion dollars in revenue per year and is expected by Fortune Business Insights to expand to nearly $840 billion by 2029. Fast food groups like McDonald’s (MCD.N), Burger King and KFC owner Yum Brands (YUM.N) could also face shrinking or shifting demand.

The potential impact on the medical industry could be even bigger. Over 40% of Americans are obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that number has increased by nearly 40% over two decades. Obese people are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, various cancers, arthritis and dementia. In 2016 the Milken Institute estimated the medical costs associated with obesity in the United States at nearly $500 billion a year. A 2021 study published in the BMJ projected that costs from reduced health and higher absenteeism worldwide would rise 50% by 2060.

The adoption of anti-obesity drugs remains hard to gauge. At a cost of about $1,000 per month it’s unclear whether insurers and public health authorities will fund widespread treatment. Side effects can also be harsh. Only about a third of those who started taking the drugs for obesity were still doing so a year later, according to one analysis.

Any destructive impact is therefore likely to be gradual. Even so, investors are beginning to fret. Breakingviews scanned transcripts of corporate earnings calls, presentations and other events tracked by LSEG for mentions of Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro – excluding those hosted by Novo and Lilly. In 2022 there were 18 such events. So far this year, at least one of the drugs has been mentioned 71 times.

Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics

Among the potential losers are firms like ResMed (RMD.N) and Inspire Medical Systems (INSP.N), which make products that treat sleep apnea, a condition where patients intermittently stop breathing while asleep. Around 70% of sufferers are obese. On a call with investors in August, ResMed CEO Michael Farrell said he thought weight-loss drugs wouldn’t have a major impact on the company’s future sales because the treatment is harsh and its cost would discourage many patients from taking it long term, while awareness of the effects of obesity could push patients towards apnea treatment. Even so, ResMed’s stock has since lost about a third of its value.

Meanwhile, companies selling joint replacements such as Zimmer Biomet (ZBH.N) and Smith+Nephew (SN.L) could see their $25 billion and $11 billion values slimmed. These two firms earn about two-thirds and 30% of their revenue, respectively, from hip and knee implants. One study estimated about a quarter of surgical cases involving knees could be avoided if patients weren’t overweight. Rival weight management treatments also look vulnerable. Since June 2021, when Novo Nordisk’s first obesity drug gained regulatory approval, shares of WW International (WW.O), formerly Weight Watchers, have collapsed about 70%, despite the company unveiling a plan to distribute weight-loss drugs.

Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics

Economic destruction could spread further afield, too. Anecdotal reports and trials on animals suggest GLP-1 drugs may also dampen urges beyond snacking, including consuming alcohol, nicotine and possibly engaging in other addictive behaviors like gambling.

These changes may have limited impact or affect only a small number of users. But any reduction in addictions could have big effects. The gambling and alcohol industries tend to display so-called Pareto distributions, where a few users provide most of the profit. In England, for example, 4% of drinkers account for 23% of the industry’s revenue, according to a study in the journal Addiction. And the top 20% most engaged gamblers using an online casino operated by the Canadian government made up 92% of revenue and 90% of losses.

Widespread adoption of GLP-1 drugs could also produce corporate winners as consumers divert cash previously spent on food and medical care. Plastic surgeons may benefit if patients seek nips and tucks following weight loss. Dating services like Match and Grindr (GRND.N) may attract newly confident users. Fashion brands and sporting goods groups could get a lift from people seeking new wardrobes or embracing athletic pursuits. Yet even as Novo, Lilly and others see their addressable markets expand, some companies will see theirs shrink. For investors, the TUM may be just as important as the TAM.

[imagelightningstrikes]

Union Match Dimension

• American Photographer Mark Fisher •

A Tax Stamp, Private Die Attached To The Package.

A Process That Occurred Between 1862 And 1883,

Enforced By Act Released From The U.S. Congress.

This Included Playing Cards, Medicines, And Matches.

Merely, Cents To Fund The Civil War And Reconstruction.

The Money Was Collected By The Newly Formed Internal Revenue.

Established In 1862, To Supply Financial Support To Handle The

Distribution Of Monies By Government Of The United States.

Paying Bills From Operation. Some Companies Avoided Paying The

Fees. They Found Themselves In Court, Fined Or Imprisoned.

This Process Continue With Civilians And Not Soldier-Citizens.

Soldiers And Veterans Do Not Need To Pay State And Federal Taxes.

They Served In The Military, Protecting People And The Constitution.

Only Citizens Have This Privilege And Civilians With Citizen-Ship

Must Pay To Stay Here. (14th Amendment.1868)

Over And Out.

Captured Under Natural Light 

Modified For Web Presentation.

Changing The Appearance   

 Of The Display Image 

With Adjustments Of The Key Values 

Mastered For Sizing And Shaping 

To Fit The Platform

Working The Approach Of The Design 

Pushing The Core Plain 

Using Developed Creative Techniques 

Controlling The Placement 

And Linear Arrangement.

While Placing The Assets In Order 

To Construct The Layout 

Through Photo Graphic Engineering 

Assembling The Structured Appearance 

Within The Cell Frame Field 

Maneuvering The Created Elements

To Complete The Visual Result. 

During Post Lab In New York City.

   •

Just Be Creative™

•

No Second Usage Without Permission

• All Rights Reserved • 

Talent Used In The Web Post All Have Management. 

Removal Of The Image, 

Scripting Implant, 

Or Tampering With Blog May Violate U.S. Laws.

Photographer Mark Fisher™ Is 

A Well Accomplished Published Photographer 

In Beauty, Fashion, and Music Photography. 

New York City 

Based Image And Filmmaker

Has A Worldwide Following. 

Is A Member Of The Press. 

There Is Fan Page On Facebook.

 Mark Fisher American Photographer 

∆

  Commissions Accepted Through Contract

• New York • • Paris • • Milan • • London • 

  Private Client Request Accepted. 

Website www.americanphotographernyc1.com

For More Info Contact 

First Stamp Multimedia

firststampmultimedia@yahoo.com

Located In

New York, New York 

Contact Also

brighton.hughes@yahoo.com

In New York City

Or Contact Mark Fisher

markfishernyc1@yahoo.com 

In New York City

Thank You  

•

Veteran Of The United States Army. 

Trained And Educated In Medicine.

• 

[downthetubes]

Graphic Medicine International Collective launches 2023 Graphic Medicine Award

The Graphic Medicine International Collective has opened the submission process for their second annual Graphic Medicine Award

[sarah-madoka-currie]

Legacy Text: ENGL PhD Student Profiles (Fall 2021)

SARAH CURRIE

E-mail: sarah.currie@uwaterloo.ca / Twitter: @kawaiilovesarah / Website: sarahmadokacurrie.notion.so

sarah currie [transliteration: KURI madoka] (!decapitalized) is a radical academic working with Jay Dolmage in the greyspace of critical dis/ability, mad studies and higher education teaching practice. Using co-designed collaborative citation frameworks, sarah unites radical researchers in the MAD MANIFESTO project, which seeks to ethically and compassionately engage with students experiencing invisible dis/ability and mental illness and widen the equity conversations to include their neurodiverse learning needs. Put simply, sarah discusses the overwhelming need to include psychosocial disabilities in current accessibility frameworks and make the university a safer space for mentally ill students.

A schizophrenic activist, sarah has appeared in over 30 conference venures over the last 2 years speaking power to lived experience (lxp) researrch strategies, challenging expert/ise frameworks and giving best-practice facilitation & teaching presentations in Canada, Japan, America, United Kingdom, India, France, Wales and Germany. As a facilitator, she has given workshops in teaching practice and radical brave spaces for UW’s Centre for Teaching Excellence, the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health, the University of British Columbia, the University of Tokyo, and select no-fees no-exclusions activist collectives. She has appeared as an academic venue host and facilitator of disability brave space panels at the Canadian Game Studies summit, the UK’s Working Class Academics international conference and Japan’s EAP Listening + SIG national summit.

Hegemonically, her work has appeared in Interdisciplinary Humanities, The Polyphony and MADzine and has forthcoming accessible no-fees no-exclusions publications in First Person Scholar, Cripping Graphic Medicine, Forced Disappearances, The Polyphony, Mosaic and Hournal for the Philosophy of Disability. 

[eldrai]

My Whumptober 2021

Find everything on my personal tag / ao3 collection or navigate through the individual fics!

#1: Hands Tied (Reid) 

Prompt: bound

Warnings: mention of past bullying

Summary: As it turns out, the darkness isn’t the worst part of the basement.

Find on tumblr or ao3

#2: Like Father, Like Son (Hotch)

Prompt: garrotte

Warnings: implied/referenced child abuse & domestic violence

Words: 1.5k

Summary: Vincent Perotta is violent. He is dedicated. He is brutal and efficient. His potential pool of victims includes a handful of asphyxiation deaths.

He has nothing to lose.

tumblr & ao3

#3: Not Worth It (Reid)

Prompt: insults

Warnings: ableism, r-slur, homophobia

Words: 2.2k

Summary: Spencer isn’t naïve. He is young and he looks young but he isn’t stupid. He hadn’t graduated with the expectation that because he was older, had qualifications to back him up, the world would collectively mature in kind. After all, he’d gained his relative immunity to insults because it hurt less to let them taunt him than it had to confront them and end up shoved in a locker or tied up on the football field.

He had hoped things might be different. Not expected. Not assumed.

Just hoped.

tumblr & ao3

#4: Skeleton Crew (Garcia)

Prompt: taken hostage

Warnings: guns, gun violence, brief description of dead body (not major character)

Words: 4.3k

Summary: A late night in the office, the team in California and an unwelcome visitor.

tumblr & ao3

#5: Pretty Boy (Morgan & Reid)

Prompt: misunderstanding

Warnings: past bullying, past homophobia, implied/referenced ableism

Words: 995

Summary: He’s a nice kid.

So Derek isn’t sure why Reid is avoiding him.

tumblr & ao3

#6: I’m All Yours (If You’re All Mine) (Teenage!Hotch & Haley)

Prompt: touch-starved

Warnings: none

Summary: Haley wishes that times like now, with few people around and a quiet moment, he’d ever seem to want to reach out.

“What?” he asks, when she breathes out in an unintentional sigh.

She laces their fingers together, her shoulder just brushing his. “Nothing.”

tumblr & ao3

#7: Cold (Hotch)

Prompt: numbness

Warnings: canon-typical violence, post-Foyet arc and what that entails, funerals, grief

Words: 2k

Summary: He misses Haley so much it breaks through the hollowness and hurts.

tumblr & ao3

#8 Seventy Two Hours (1/3) (Hotch)*

Prompt: definitely just a cold

Warnings: canon-typical discussions of violence, vomiting

Words: 2.5k

Summary: Four victims. A fifth suspected missing. There is no time for self-pity - the world doesn’t stop just because he’s a little sick.

tumblr & ao3

#9: Decisions (Reid)

Prompt: tears

Warnings: internalized ableism

Words: 200

Summary: It doesn’t tell him why he never feels he belongs.

(He knows what does.)

tumblr & ao3

#10: hear them saying it gets better every day (Hotch)

Prompt: flare-up

Warnings: chronic pain, intrusive thoughts, graphic intrusive thoughts, thoughts of self-harm, disordered eating, self-induced vomiting (No actual vomiting but description of idea/attempt), medical ableism, internalized ableism

Words: 4.6k

Summary:The ironic thing is of all the marks Foyet leaves on him, the ones he doesn’t hurt the most.

or: Hotch struggles with chronic pain

tumblr & ao3

#11: Shock (Hotch)

Prompt: drowning

Warnings: canon-typical violence & references to murder, attempted drowning

Words: 2.2k

Summary: They go over.

Icy water slams the air out of his lungs as the rest of his muscles seize up.

tumblr & ao3

#12: Burning Questions (Reid & Morgan)

Prompt: made to watch

Warnings: abduction, implied/referenced child & domestic abuse, minor burns, cigarettes

Words: 972

Summary: The man pays him no heed, tilting his head and scrutinizing him with a sharp gaze. Spencer commits his idiosyncrasies to memory, imagines his features bulleted on a warrant. Perhaps an Interpol red notice.

tumblr & ao3

#13: Fault Lines (Morgan & Reid)

Prompt: this is gonna suck

Warnings: earthquakes, building collapse, broken bones, description of broken bones, field medicine

Words: 3.5k

Summary: And Reid’s in front of him, hands on his shoulders pulling him to his feet, all jerky movements and frantic eyes and through it all, Derek makes out a single word: earthquake.

He stumbles outside. He’s nearly off the porch before the house tears apart.

tumblr & ao3

#14: Leave This All Behind (Young Reid)

Prompt: beaten

Warnings: bullying, ableism, minor violence

Words: 1.5k

Summary: Spencer doesn’t have a good day at school.

tumblr & ao3

#15: Seventy Two Hours (2/3) (Hotch)*

Prompt: delirium

Warnings: vomiting, fever, medical (IVs, etc.), seizure

Words: 3.0k

A/N: n a shocking turn of events no-one could have predicted… it might not just be a cold

tumblr & ao3

#16: Seventy Two Hours (3/3) (Hotch)*

Prompt: scars/recovery/aftermath

Warnings: hospitals, medical procedures, needles, implied/referenced child abuse

Words: 1.7k

tumblr & ao3

#17: Headache (Reid)

Prompt: haemorrhage

Warnings: mild blood, mild injury

Words: 1.3k

Summary: “Woah, woah, woah,” she says. “Sit. Now.”

“Oh, I’m fine here,” Spencer says. “My knee is almost fully healed.” 

“I’m not worried about your knee,” Garcia says.

tumblr & ao3

#18: Spontaneous (Hotch)

Prompt: CPR

Warnings: mild needles, poisoning

Words: 2.8k

Summary: “Sudden cardiac arrest,” Spencer breathes. “No history of heart problems. Public place. I don’t think it’s coincidental.”

tumblr & ao3

#19: Once Bitten, Twice Shy (JJ)

Prompt: bitten

Warnings: fear of dogs, dog attack/bite, animal neglect, panic attacks, graphic description of wounds

Words: 983

Summary: The man shouts a guttural command and the dog runs at her.

tumblr & ao3

#20: Stress-Diathesis Model (Reid)

Prompt: solitary confinement

Warnings: hallucinations & psychosis (implied), paranoia, insects

Words: 1.0k

Summary: Stress-diathesis model

noun.

a psychological theory that attempts to explain a disorder, or its trajectory, as the result of an interaction between a predispositional vulnerability, the diathesis, and a stress caused by life experiences.

tumblr & ao3

#21: Rust (Morgan & Hotch)

Prompt: pressure

Warnings: gunshot wounds, blood

Words: 1.4k

Summary: For all the training they receive, Derek expects a gunshot to hurt.

Because the split second after he hits the ground, some invisible force tackling him, knocking the wind right out of him, and a dark warmth soaks through his shirt, the moment just before his synapses snap back to life and he recognises it for what it is—there is nothing.

tumblr & ao3

#22: Letter (JJ)

Prompt: obsession

Warnings: stalking, misogyny, misogynistic language, mentioned rape threats, death threats

Words: 2k

Summary: Being the unit’s liason has its downsides

tumblr & ao3

#23: Motion Sick (Reid)

Prompt: pursuit

Warnings: brief vomit mention

Words: 952

**Summary: **Spencer hadn’t minded the swaying, jolting movements of the bus: it was the people that bothered him, the sour, warm bodies pressing near him, a suffocating heat in the summer and a symphony of awful rustling jackets in winter. School trips were better, the class spread out in a coach, and unlike some of his unluckier classmates he was never struck by carsickness.

Which leaves the conclusion that it’s Morgan’s driving.

tumblr & ao3

#24: Detox (Reid)

Prompt: flashback

Warnings: drug addiction, drug withdrawal, vomiting

Words: 814

Summary: Dilaudid withdrawal peaks in intensity between twenty-four and forty-eight hours. He’s made the first twelve. Just twelve more and it’s going to be easier.

tumblr & ao3

#25: Static (Hotch)

Prompt: escape

Warnings: sensory overload

Words: 1.3k

Summary: It builds over time but it becomes overwhelming in an instant, the air growing hot and stuffy. Noises blend together like static crashing in harsh waves. Too much.

Get a grip, he thinks, turning the glass in his hands. His skin feels too tight. Get a fucking grip.

tumblr & ao3

(A/N: self-indulgent headcanon time? self-indulgent headcanon time.)

#26: Keep Your Feet On The Ground (Hotch)

Prompt: fallen

Warnings: implied/referenced child abuse, mild blood & injury

Words: 1k

tumblr & ao3

#27: Five A Day? No? Three? One? (Morgan)

Prompt: passing out

Warnings: mentions of unsub stuff, non-disordered skipped meals

Words: 544

Summary: Derek passes out, Hotch shouldn’t be surprised, and an unsub gets tackled.

tumblr & ao3

#28: Nightmares (Morgan)

Prompt: nightmares

Warnings: canon-typical references to murder/violence, mentions of Buford but no specific reference to CSA.

Words: 268

Summary: The dream warps and their faces blur. Just Buford’s remains clear.

tumblr & ao3

#29: Late Nights (Hotch & Garcia)

Prompt: overworked

Warnings: None

Words: 1.7k

Summary: They’d called it an early night – early in the sense that they weren’t going to stay late for once – because they had reached the stage where they were starting to drive each other crazy just by existing together.

tumblr & ao3

#30: Frostbite (Morgan)

Prompt: left for dead

Warnings: blood and injury, mildly graphic description of injury, hypothermia

Words: 1.5k

Summary: Derek uses the corner to heave himself up to his feet, a pained cry slipping through gritted teeth as his knee takes weight. He tests his left leg. His ankle throbs in protest but it can take him walking on it - and his right is all right for short, light steps. It has to be.

tumblr & ao3

#31: Touch (Morgan)

Prompt: trauma

Warnings: sexual harassment/sexual assault, groping, past CSA

Words: 608

Summary: The touch is so brief he brushes it off as an accident. It’s just a crowded club.

tumblr & ao3

[bicount-de-lettenhove]

Escaping is Overrated - Part 2

Life on the Continent sucks balls if you're not a Mighty Witcher, and Jaskier learns the hard way just how inhospitable it can be when he finds himself on the run from Nilfgaard. ----- ~A continuation of Part 1~

okay so I'm a big fan of stories where there isn't necessarily a big bad antagonist, but where a character (say, a humble bard) instead ends up suffering because of shitty circumstances. If you are also a fan, please read on for a story which is essentially a list of shittier and shittier circumstances befalling our humble bard. There will eventually be a happy ending! CWs: canon-typical violence, non-graphic gore

Even to Jaskier’s exhausted mind the woods are beautiful. Deep, solid darkness settles under the trees to either side of the path and the air is still and quiet, the sound of his footsteps muffled by the dense foliage and the thick covering of pine needles on the floor. He shambles along the path, straining his hearing for any sounds of pursuit, but as the shade of the forest begins to deepen into dusk he realises with a thrill of excitement that no-one seems to be coming after him. He scans the woods around him, looking for an easy path into the relative safety of the dense trees, and spots a narrow line in which the foliage is flattened - an animal’s path, probably frequented by foxes or badgers. He follows the path, looking back often to take note of landmarks which would guide him back to the main trail, and internally congratulating himself on his foresight for doing that. Eventually he comes to a space in the dense trees, barely large enough to warrant being called a clearing, where a huge fallen fir has rendered the ground inhospitable to other trees. He drops his pack and rests his lute carefully against the trunk of the tree, before collapsing down against it himself with much less care. A wave of exhaustion washes over him and he suddenly realises how ravenously hungry heis. He reaches for his pack and pulls it towards him gingerly, unwilling to close his injured hands around the fabric, then fumbles with the button for several minutes, swearing colourfully. Finally he settles the horrible, mean little button between his index and middle finger, the pack between his knees, and pulls sharply. The button comes free and the pack drops to the floor.

‘Finally, you tiny bastard.’ He mutters, and reaches down between his knees to open the pouch of his pack. To his relief, it doesn’t look like his captors have touched his belongings, meagre as they are. He takes stock, using both useless hands to unpack his things onto the forest floor. He has a waterskin (half full), a hunk of bread (very stale), some strips of jerky (not worth eating at the best of times in Jaskier’s opinion), a tiny pot of jam (oh yes), a miniature bottle of vodka (oh yes), some bandages, a purse with a few coins, a spare shirt now stained with ink (dammit!), his songbook, the offending pot of ink and several bent quills. First, he cups the hunk of bread in his hand, taking greedy bites, and washing it down with gulps of water which ease the residual aching in his throat from the smoke. Opening the jam is a struggle but his determination wins out and soon he is knuckles-deep in the sticky goop and moaning obscenely as he sucks it off three fingers at once. Normally he wouldn’t eat the whole pot in one go, but dammit he deserves it right now.

He has carefully saved the vodka and now he reaches for that and the bandages. He sighs deeply, remembering all the times he had done this for Geralt. The pain clearly visible to Jaskier after years of practice reading the witcher’s minimal facial expressions; the slight clench of his jaw and flaring of his nostrils as he let out a carefully controlled breath; his unwillingness to be vulnerable, even around Jaskier, even after 20 years. Unbidden, pathetic tears cloud Jaskier’s vision. This is why he avoids thinking about Geralt. Over their time travelling together he has fallen utterly and pathetically in love with the witcher, and while he never dares to dream of his feelings being reciprocated, he always assumed that Geralt appreciated his help when he could give it. That he was more than just an irritation, even if his company was somewhat grating. But Geralt has made it all-too-clear that he isn’t in need of help, or company, or a bard.

Now wallowing in self-pity, Jaskier thinks back to that shitty day on the mountain. He’d turned away from Geralt and stumbled down the path, shocked by the witcher’s snarled words, fighting back humiliating tears. But by the time he’d retraced their steps to the clearing where Roach was waiting, he had steadied himself, regained control of his emotions. Geralt had been angry, crushed by what had happened with Yennefer, and the witcher had never been good at dealing with difficult emotions. He’d lashed out, and Jaskier had just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. So Jaskier had decided to wait for his friend. He’d waited the rest of the day, back against a tree and working on his latest composition. He’d waited the evening, fiddling nervously, starting to doubt himself. When it got dark he lit a fire for warmth, then he’d waited the night, huddled close to the flames but unwilling to move too far away from Roach in case Geralt returned and didn’t see him. Then dawn had broken and his eyes had been heavy, but he’d waited, shivering once the fire had died down and before the sun brought warmth to the mountains. But that day, as the sun had risen higher and higher into the sky, Jaskier’s heart had slowly sunk. Geralt wasn’t coming. He really had wanted to be rid of Jaskier. He really had meant what he said. Maybe he was watching right now - Jaskier had thought bitterly - concealed in the foliage and waiting for the idiot bard - the shit shoveling, irritating, useless bard who has hounded him for 20 years - to leave so that he could collect his horse and return to the path. With that realisation, Jaskier had got slowly to his feet, picked up his things, kicked apart the remains of his fire and turned, eyes once again full of unshed tears, to make his way down the mountain.

The dragon hunt was almost a year ago now, and since then the whole continent has gone - in Jaskier's opinion - absolutely tits-up. The Nilfgaardian army swarmed up from the South, spreading terror and destruction. At times it had felt to Jaskier as though everyone on the continent was heading North, trying desperately to escape the unstoppable wave of Nilfgaardian violence. Every inn was full of refugees and Jaskier had seen countless vagabond children wandering the streets, disfigured by grotesque scars. Villages were running out of food and ale and turning displaced families away. Disease was sweeping through towns and famine through the countryside. Rumours spread that Cintra had fallen. Jaskier had been travelling North too, helping people with food and medicine when he could afford it, playing songs and telling stories to entertain the children when he couldn’t.

About a week ago, he had been in a nameless village, standing on a rickety table as a makeshift stage and leading a packed tavern in a relentlessly fast, drunken version of fishmonger’s daughter. The tavern had been hot and damp and thick with the smell of sodden, unwashed woolen clothes. The skinny children whirled each other in breathless circles and the adults - who had long since moved from ale onto moonshine and other spirits - sang and stomped with a kind of frantic desperation, clinging to the shred of familiarity that his songs provided. Jaskier had bowed and accepted a few meagre offerings of coin, turned down others. Sometimes kind people were prepared to pay more than they could afford, and he had learned how to recognise those people from his years travelling with Geralt. There had been no room at the tavern for him, each single bedroom occupied by a full family, so Jaskier had left by the back door, intending to set up camp just beyond the village boundaries and very much not thinking of how nice it would be to sleep inside for once. As he had stepped out of the back door he’d been stopped by a thick hand on his upper arm which pulled him out of the wedge of light cast by the open door, and then a thick forearm had been pressed against his neck, pinning him against the tavern wall. He had spluttered at the pressure, hands coming up to try and ease the weight against his throat, eyes darting, panicked, between his attacker and the two men standing in the shadows behind him.

‘Please,’ he’d croaked out. ‘Here, just take my coin.’ He’d tried to offer them his pack, slung over his shoulder, but his attacker had just slammed Jaskier's head back against the wall hard enough that his vision had swum.

‘We’ll take exactly what we want, bard.’ He’d spat the word bard like it was poison. His breath had been hot and stinking in Jaskier’s face. He’d smiled, showing blackened, rotting teeth, and tightened the pressure on his neck, watching with obscene pleasure as the bard’s eyes had widened in panic and his fingers had scrabbled uselessly against the hairy flesh of his arm. Thankfully, after a few moments he’d let up, Jaskier coughing and retching as he tried to regain his breath.

‘What do you -’ his voice had been quiet and rasping, cut off by a cry of pain and a groan as his attacker had driven his knee into Jaskier’s groin and he’d folded forward to kneel, bent, in the mud. Then the man had hit him again, knee connecting with his face and Jaskier had felt hot blood spray from his nose. The man had stepped back and one of the others stalked forward, holding a broad, flat club in one beefy hand, and Jaskier just had time to open his mouth in a surprised ‘wait’ before he’d swung it down and everything had gone black. When he’d woken, in that cell, he’d found out exactly what they wanted. His kidnappers were thugs that had been bought out by Nilfgaard to do their dirty work. In this case, finding the location of one silver-haired witcher and one very important child-surprise. Of course Jaskier hadn’t told them. He wasn’t lying when he insisted - between screams - that he didn’t know where Geralt was. And he would never tell them what he did know - about Kaer Morhen, about the safehouses and healers Geralt favoured, about his travelling habits and his companions and confidants around the continent. Not just for Geralt, but also for Cirilla, because by the Gods that girl deserved none of this. And so, for once in his life, Jaskier had kept his mouth shut.

-------

oh it only gets worse I am being very mean and very enjoying it

Thanks so much for reading! 🧡🧡 Chapter 3 is on the way, but sometimes doing a phd gets in the way (how dare), so fingers crossed it won't be too long!

Also another note: I haven't written the ending of this fic yet, apart from Geralt Helps And Is Sorry TM. If anyone has any suggestions of favourite Geralt-saves-Jaskier tropes please drop me a reply because I have been stuck at the same point for far too long now 🧡

[dolcetters]

so anyway, i’m emotional and since i still haven’t drawn the hecking scar map for dol like i said i would months ago (*writes that down on my Getting My Shit Together List*), here’s a dumb collection of visible scars as well as canon/”documented” wounds received during the raid from mangahood because i guess i hate myself:

----------------------------------------------------------

near point-blank gunshot wound in upper right chest

the injury in ishval that resulted in him getting pulled off the battlefield at the brink of death and taken to the 5th labs 

[[ faded due to time and the healing process provided by alchemic splicing ]]

various and multiple needle-induced scars on forearms

developed due to continuous use of IVs and injections of medicines, drugs, toxins, etc. during the 14 years of experimentation in the 5th lab. he prefers to keep his forearms covered in part because of these and it’s reason for the arm guards he wore pre-raid. post-raid, he wears long sleeves.

[[ some are more faded than others ; usually can go unseen from a distance but can easily be noticed on closer inspection ; hair growth on forearms is considerably “patchy” due to the repetitive tissue damage ]]

faint scarring on corners of the mouth

brought on due to struggling while mouth was forcibly held open by a metal guard.

[[ these are incredibly faint and likely only noticeable if you’re close and deliberately looking for traces of them ]]

extreme muscle and tissue damage to right calf

caused by a failed experiment who mauled him during an attempted escape. he almost always wears long pants due to this injury; he doesn’t want to see it and he doesn’t want to be asked about it. 

[[ one of his most noticeable scars. has been known to seize if strained without proper exercise or stretching beforehand. ]]

two surgical scars on his chest and abdomen

due to surgeries performed after his splicing to see if combining him with the dogs had altered his internal organs.

[[ faded primarily due to time as this was in earlier lab years ]]

puncture wound from left shoulder blade through lower left ribs

from being, literally, stabbed in the back by bradley (thanks for the extra pockets). it’s likely his left lung was damaged in this strike.

[[ due to being a clean stab, it’s one of his smaller visible scars from the raid ]]

three bullet wounds in his upper back

took shots while defending roa and cutting gas pipes to help them escape. literally ran right into the gunfire like a madlad.* 

[[ two scars are slightly larger than the third; appears to be an exit wound around his right collar possibly from one of these bullets ]]

long and jagged slash scar across midsection

from what should have been the finishing blow that disemboweled him**. only survived this injury thanks to sakura’s aid and otherwise would have bled out in the water.

[[ largest raid-incuded scar; sometimes experiences phantom pains from it even long after the events of the raid ]]

----------------------------------------------------------

*found exclusively in brotherhood adaptation **manga death is not nearly as brutal and explicitly graphic as brotherhood and, frankly, thank god, please miss me with that disrespectful shit

[seyaryminamoto]

Why do u wanna leave Venezuela? I'm 'new' here and didn't know about everything that happened in Venezuela and ur circumstances. Could u enlighten me?

Oof... it’s a pretty long story. A story that literally began before I was born :’D

Venezuela used to be one of the most prosperous countries in South America, mainly because of our surprisingly massive oil reserves. Once those were discovered, back 1928, we went from old-school rural country to the hub of development and modernity in South America. Everything looked poised to continue progressing...! But then it didn’t. Slowly but surely, government mismanagement resulted in bad decisions that started Venezuela’s downfall. At the time, those decisions appeared catastrophic. In retrospect, they weren’t even a hint of the hell we would experience during my lifetime.

One president, a rather controversial one, decided he’d raise the cost of gasoline in the country, back in 1989. It may sound pretty casual, but it wasn’t: Venezuela, hub of oil, had always taken advantage of subsidized oil for its citizens. Meaning, gasoline was cheaper than water for us. I’m not even joking, it literally was. But the president at the time thought this couldn’t be sustainable and increased prices.

This resulted in a popular backlash against this decision, which resulted in considerable lootings over the course of a few days, as well as murders, violent protests, all sorts of chaos... eventually, this event became the perfect excuse for a certain, powerhungry, military “leader” to take advantage of and stage a coup to overthrow that president. This military leader’s coup didn’t work, and he was sent to jail (not before him and his cronies killed, in cold blood, an undefined number that ranges between 100 and 300 people in their attempts to overthrow the government).

A few years after the coup attempt, the military leader in question... was released. Despite being the intellectual artificer of the deaths of a number ranging around 100-300 people.

By now, he can be held responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people instead :’)

And that graphic is for outright murder. That’s not accounting for the people who died because of food or medicine shortages, it’s not accounting for the many people the current government numbers have covered up... it’s not all the people who have had to pay with their lives for the absolutely dreadful mismanagement of the country in current times. And what does that military leader have to do with all these deaths? Why would I hold HIM responsible?

Why, because he became president of Venezuela in the year of 1998. That’s why :’)

There’s no easy way of summing up everything going downhill in this country. You could, however, say that every hardship we’ve had to deal with here is a consequence of the absolutely horrid, corrupt, criminal decisions of a government that has zero interest in governing a country. All they want is to line their pockets with blood money and pay for none of the crimes they’ve committed while in power. And they’ll ally themselves with as many dangerous countries and regimes as they possibly can to get away with it, regardless of where they stand on the political spectrum (they’re best buddies with far-right and far-left regimes just the same. Kinda says something, doesn’t it?).

Just to put things in context: Chavez, the military leader who became president, committed thousands of awful decisions. He rewrote the Constitution, he set up his goons to handle our Electoral College so that they’d rig the system and ensure he got away with victories in all the elections that mattered, he set up huge restrictions on international trade, to the point where people COULDN’T do any sorts of operations with foreign currency without asking his government for permission first, which became a HUGE source of corruption...

But the likely worst part of it all is what affects everyone, from day to day, all throughout the country. And that is the government’s monopoly over EVERY BASIC NEED INDUSTRY in this country.

Currently, as I type this? My building has had running water for 3 days straight, in the middle of a pandemic (and that’s just my personal experience, there’s a HUGE lot of people who haven’t had running water for MONTHS and have to collect water on rivers or hire water trucks that are more and more expensive with every passing day). Me and my parents are living off water reserves that we must constantly collect whenever the water comes back, because these water cuts happen at RANDOM, with ZERO WARNING, with NO EXPLANATION and you have no right to protest to the water company (if you did, you’d go ignored. If you don’t go ignored, you go jailed. That’s your full spectrum of choices in this situation).

And of course, the vital question: who has the monopoly over the water companies throughout the country? The State.

Currently, as I type this? My WiFi is unstable (heck, it crashed just as I was typing this answer, the irony is strong!), and only three devices can be connected at a time. No, it’s not the router’s fault, because while it could sound as the obvious answer, it’s not configurated to limit the number of users. Only a month ago, all devices you felt like connecting could connect indeed, though the network was unstable anyhow. By now, the network is still unstable, and it can’t support all the devices we should have online.

Who runs the phone/internet company I use? The State.

A little over a year ago, a spree of nation-wide blackouts plagued the country. We spent whole days offline, completely isolated from the world, because not even cellphone networks would function if the cellphone towers were down too. All we could do was listen to radio, and ONLY if you had battery-powered radios. Even then, most radio stations weren’t even offering real information on what was going on, and the one that was got kicked offline earlier this year I think? Because their permit to operate in the country was revoked (the truth? the government has been taking advantage of ANY excuse to get rid of media that doesn’t report about them favorably since 2008, at least).

Who runs the electrical company that supplies THE ENTIRE COUNTRY? The State.

And I could go on, and on, and on... but I think you’ll get the picture by now. Basically, every single issue you find in this country (in 2013, we were ranked the most insecure country in the world, in 2019 the most MISERABLE country in the world) goes back to the people in charge, who have only made choices to benefit themselves and seldom to help the “people” they’ve always claimed to be working for. They’ve broken the laws they wrote themselves, they’ve become internationally persecuted criminals for helming drug trafficking networks, for crimes as outlandish as supplying Venezuelan passports to known, persecuted terrorists (while, btw, making actual Venezuelan people pay about $200 for a passport... when our minimum wage, MONTHLY, is around $1.3? No, that’s not a miscalculation or an exaggeration, it’s further evidence of what I said up there regarding being the most miserable country in the world), they’ve imprisoned and exiled countless members of their political opposition under fabricated charges, commited outright crimes of torture, including sexual torture, on peaceful protesters who were taken (sometimes just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time) by the national guards or police, 98% of actual crime goes unpunished in this country because the government outright instigates, encourages and even SUPPLIES criminals, since they’re basically a perfect method to keep the population at bay...?

Living in Venezuela has rendered me incapable of enjoying pretty much any form of dystopic storytelling. This mess began when I was 3-years-old, and it gets worse and worse and worse with every day that goes by. There’s no end in sight, no likely improvements, no solutions because nothing that has been tried has been any closer to succeeding at liberating this country from the nightmare clutches it’s in.

And of course, the worldwide pandemic only makes matters worse because, while I wasn’t going to be able to leave the country just yet anyhow, I had hoped to get out this year. By now, hell knows when I’ll be able to leave at all.

*sigh* And there you have it. I’m sure, if you’re curious, you can look up some more on the subject, though there’s a lot of false BS online, propaganda trying to paint the government as victims of the international community when that couldn’t be further from the truth, so if you have anything else you’d like to know... feel free to ask :’)

(Found this article too, it seems to do a relatively better overview than I did to explain why we’re in the ninth circle of hell... it’s a longer read than this ask, I suspect, but it ought to answer any lingering questions anyhow)

[attracted-a]

summarized muse list

bora | kwon sohee (saay) | she/her | social media influencer and resident deadpan snarker | is extraordinarily internet famous and gives absolutely no fucks about it

byung | choi soobin | he/him | Deaf activist | sheds actual tears at the sight of a puppy | brother to mina

changmin | kang hyunggu (kino) | he/him | wild and reckless and never not smiling | uni dropout living his best life while he still can

delilah | chonnasorn sajakul (sorn) | she/her | whimsical tarot & palm reader | aspires to live in a cottage not far from the farmer’s market with chickens, goats, and 3 alpacas

electra | heo yoorim (aisha) | she/her | spoiled af socialite and part 1/7 heiress to a multi-million dollar company | loud lesbian in denial

everett | jung wooseok | he/him | perpetually dazed & confused psychic medium & occasional paranormal investigator | loves eating too many special brownies and chatting with spirits from another dimension all night

gabriel | choi yeonjun | he/they | exhuasted and jaded fallen/guardian angel & undeclared university student | chain smokes while wishing everyone would just calm down

gyu | cho seungyoun (woodz) | he/him | intern at a fashion magazine hq with not a flying fuck what’s going on at any given moment | big himbo energy

hyori | yoo jimin (karina) | she/her | reserved and perpetually confused university student of religious studies | recently escaped a cult and is adjusting to modern society

jimin | lee yubin (dami) | they/them | drummer in a metal band & occasional drug dealer | chaotic, blunt, and denies having any feelings at all

joon | kim yongseung | he/him | energetic and enthusiastic graphic design student | always doing The Most™

lina | alexaundra christine schneiderman (aleXa) | she/her | no-nonsense stylist sick of idols complaining about their hair | either working relentlessly or binging netflix at home

millie | choi yoonah (bella) | she/her | model discovered during her freshman year at uni and thrown to the wolves (the fashion industry) without warning | awkward, embarrassing, and never has any idea what she’s doing

mina | kim yoohyeon | she/her | is fluent in 7 languages and probably a genius | a language translator and transcriber who is woefully protective of byung, her younger brother

nash | kim hongjoong | he/him | aspiring musician recently fired from his retail job for shoplifting | diagnosed narcissist obsessed with luxury despite being unable to afford anything

qiang | liu yangyang | he/him | slightly awkward but very funny university student studying medicine to please his parents | centers everything around trying to lose his virginity

robin | park jaehyung (jae) | he/him | peculiar miniature model maker & twitch streamer obsessed with the y2k aesthetic | part of a huge, weird af family where all five children are named after birds and have niche interests

saint | do hanse | he/him | soft & sweet documentary filmmaker | constantly giggles and swoons over the dark academia aesthetic

sumi | jo serim (onda) | she/her | strange and unpredictable pre-dentistry student just in it for the teeth | basically a goblin who collects animal bones, locks of hair, and abandoned spoons

wally | kim hyojong (dawn) | he/him | unemployed couch surfer & quite lazy drug dealer | ghoul whose diet is restricted to animal meat and jerky

xavier | wong kunhang (hendery) | he/him | idol pushed into the industry by overbearing parents | really just wants to start a punk band

yaya | lee chaeyoung (isa) | she/her | works in retail and is judging you for those prada pumps from last year | former cheerleader who fled america after her classmate died in an apparent “accident”

yuri | lee gahyeon | she/her | phone sex line operator paying little attention to any given conversation | master multitasker who takes absolutely nothing seriously and laughs at everything, including her clients (quietly)